Hermione Granger and the Last Stand
by PiperWillow
Summary: It's Harry's 7th year at Hogwarts and as he prepares for his final battle with Voldemort he starts to look at Hermione differently and will come to need her more than he ever thought he would.


Hermione Granger and the last stand

PG-13 – Action/Romance – Scenes of a moderately sexual nature and some moderate peril and violence. Spoilers to HBP. This story is set and the end of their seventh year.

All characters are the property of Jo Rowling. This was written for my own amusement, not for profit, and is not endorsed by Jo Rowling or the WB.

All reviews very much appreciated!

Harry was sure he hadn't felt this tired in months. It was bad enough that he had his NEWTs to study for, a fact Hermione kept drumming into him at every available opportunity, but his extra work with the DA and his private lessons with McGonagall were really taking their toll. As he walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room he noticed that, despite how late it was, Hermione had stayed up waiting for him. She was sitting on the window sill looking out onto the grounds, the moonlight outlining her beautifully, knees cuddled up by her chest, with a look of steely resolution on her face. He was actually quite taken aback at how beautiful she looked.

"Hi" Said Harry, not wanting to startle her "have you been waiting for me long?" he asked affectionately.

"Oh, hi Harry, no, I've just been thinking"

"About what" Harry replied, worried as her look of resolution changed to concern. He walked across the room, put down his bag and sat in an armchair by the fire, their spot.

"Just that it's really all happening isn't it. I mean, we take our NEWTs in a couple of weeks. The Order says they've found another two Horcruxes" Said Hermione, leaning her head back against the stone wall of the window.

"Yeah but found doesn't mean destroyed" Harry said

"I know" continued Hermione, " it's just that the final battle is really coming, it's kill or be killed now Harry, and I just wanted to make sure you were ready." She turned her head to look at him and added "That we'd be ready"

"What do you mean we? The prophecy said it was me that finishes off Voldemort, not you" said Harry, a little too bluntly. At this Hermione got up from the windowsill and walked towards Harry and said quite clearly,

"I mean I'm going to be there. At the end. standing next to you every step of the way. I know the prophecy doesn't talk about the boy who lived and his friends, but this is serious now" her look of resolution returning "and I'm not letting you do it alone. I just wanted you to know that" She said with the beginnings of a yawn.

"Well I'll be alone at breakfast tomorrow if we don't both get some sleep" he said jokingly, not wanting to show her how moved he had been by her declaration of loyalty. "You know what" Hermione breathed, moving a little closer to him, gently brushing her fingers against his hips and pulling him towards her by his hips, and said with a sigh, her eyes half closed "I think you're right. Goodnight Harry". With a gentle and fleeting hug, trailing her hand over his stomach as she went, Hermione left him feeling slightly dazed, and ascended the stairs to the girl's dormitory's.

At breakfast Harry was a bit off. He wasn't sure why. The food was the same, Ron was talking his ears off yet again about how the Chuddley Cannons were sure to win the cup this year and Hermione was reading her usual morning copy of _The Daily Prophet, _her hair evidently only half brushed as she had needed to talk to Professor Flitwick quickly before he took his early class. Harry liked the look, and he thought it suited her greatly. He only realised he'd been staring when she looked up curiously at him and asked "did you want the paper Harry?" He replied dumbly "No, no" and almost dived for the toast and scrambled eggs to make it look like he hadn't been staring at her at all. That was it. But no, it couldn't be could it? He didn't like Hermione did he? He'd always liked her of course, he'd just never noticed her in that way before and it dawned on him how extraordinary she really was. She'd always been the one to help him through a crisis, she was easily the best in the year, if not the school, at everything she did and heck, she was even, dare he think it, rather beautiful in her own Hermione way. No he didn't _like _Hermione, he told himself as he finished off his pumpkin juice, it was just good light, and he'd been very touched by her words the night before. He needed her more as a friend and Lieutenant than as a girlfriend to distract him from the mission at hand, so he pushed it to the back of his mind and didn't think on it again until just before the start of their exams.

What he hadn't realised was that the Patil sisters had picked up on whatever it was between him and Hermione and had been caught giggling about it by Ginny. Ginny had to admit it did seem fairly obvious; they were always together outside of class, went down to breakfast together each morning and had this cute little sub-conscious morning ritual. Everyday Hermione would pour Harry his juice while he stocked up on toast from the other end of the table for both of them. They laughed at the same jokes and whenever Harry was hurt or upset Ginny knew Hermione would be in the toilets or behind the curtains of her four poster bed crying for him. As much as she still loved Harry and wanted him for herself she couldn't deny it any longer, there was something between them and she didn't want to stand in their way. Hermione was still one of her best friends, why wouldn't she want her to be happy? She had to say something, to let them know she was okay with it. Her chance came one afternoon when Hermione came back from Arithmancy and took her usual seat by the fire in the common room. She knew Harry was still in his lesson with McGonagall so she walked over to Hermione by the fire and sat down. "You mind if we talk?" asked Ginny politely, "Sure" replied Hermione looking slightly bemused. "I know you and Harry like each other and I wanted you to know that I'm ok with it." Ginny gabbled nervously. "What!" said Hermione incredulously "Ginny I don't like Harry! Well I like him, I just don't _like _him. What gave you this idea?" "Well I heard the Patil sisters talking about it and it makes sense doesn't it? You've both been through a lot together, like going to the ministry and I know it was you that helped him through all his exams and the triwizard tournament and all that and I guess I just assumed." "There's nothing between us like that" Hermione interjected, but the truth was that the thought had occurred to her. She just didn't want to upset Ginney when she knew she wasn't over Harry just yet. She'd noticed the playfulness that must have tipped people off. She had always been comfy around Harry, and plus he really wasn't that bad to look at, especially after he'd been to quiddich practice and came back to the common room all sweaty and dishevelled………Did he really feel the same way about her? From what Ginny was saying he might. She'd have to talk to him.

Once again Harry had been working late on protection charms and transfiguring moving dogs into large galleon type coins, and once again Hermione was the only one left in the common room, still revising, although apparently without much luck as her head was leaning on all her notes in either frustration or exhaustion, he couldn't tell which yet. When he looked at her, in all her tangle-haired stressed out glory he couldn't reasonably deny it anymore, he liked her. She looked over to him and smiled, and beckoned to him to sit down by the fire next to her. He did. "How was class?" she asked after a moment of unusually uncomfortable silence, sifting through her papers. "Fine thanks, it's getting really difficult now though." Began Harry, starting to relax into his comfy chair, "This stuff McGonagall is teaching me is way beyond NEWT level an…" Unable to hold it in any longer Hermione cut in, "Ginny says you like me", "What!" Harry exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "I know! It's ridiculous isn't it!" Hermione said, trying to cover up the fact she _had_ started to look at him differently. "Not that ridiculous I suppose bu" "Where'd Ginny get this from? Harry asked, confused, "The Patil sisters." Hermione countered. "Should've known they couldn't keep a secret" whispered Harry to himself. "What? Harry, do you like me?" Asked Hermione, her brow furrowed, trying to process the thought "It's complicated" replied Harry, sitting down again, "What's complicated about it, either you like me. ……in a romantic sense, or you don't" pushed Hermione. Harry paused, not sure whether to tell the truth or give her the stock best friend response. "It's complicated because I think I do. It's complicated because of all the reasons I gave Ginny when we broke up. And" he paused again, looking visibly nervous, "because it's you. You've done pretty much everything I have, and we already have a history and I couldn't bear it if things didn't work out and I ended up loosing you." Hermione sat back in her chair, trying to take it all in and at the same time keep her excitement at this new development under wraps. "Well. I can honestly say I'm not going anywhere!" She giggled a little, "and that's good. Cos I think I like you too". "Really" replied Harry with a grin. Becoming a little more relaxed, with a smile he said, "Since when?", trying to tease her, she took the bait, "I'm not telling you that! Unless you tell me when you started liking me!" "Okay" thought Harry, "The first time I thought you were, well, different…….. In a good way!" he hastened to add, "From the other girls in our year was at the Yule Ball. I thought you looked amazing in that dress." Hermione was very flattered. "Alright, I knew I liked you just after you caught the snitch after six hours in that game against Hufflepuff last year. You were soaking wet, but you still looked really good." They both smiled and laughed a little, and then strangely for Harry, a sudden surge of confidence came over him. He subconsciously licked his lips and watched Hermione do the same, and before he knew what he was doing, he leaned in to kiss her. As he did, Ron came down from the boys dormitories, blurting out, "Harry, oh shit! Sorry! I'll go!" as their lips were about to touch. They dropped their heads a little and broke apart, smiling, but irritated, sitting back in their chairs. "No Ron, it's fine. What d'you need?" said Hermione, sheepishly. "I just came down to see if Harry was back yet. I just wanted to know if you've planned a Quiddich practise for tomorrow mate?" "uhh, umm. Yeah, six sound okay?" "fine" said Ron, looking a little uncomfortable. "I'll just be going" said Ron, turning to leg it out of the room "wait". Said Harry, he was sure he heard a huge crash, like a table being flung across a room. "Did you hear that" said Harry, his heart beat rising. There was a definite noise now. Crashing and screaming and explosions. He wasn't positive yet, but he thought it was coming from the Hufflepuff common-room. The three of them took one look at each other, grabbed their wands, ran out of the common room., through the portrait hole and into the corridor.

As he was running towards the source of the disturbance Harry took out the fake galleon Hermione had enchanted in their fifth year and made it glow red, the emergency signal for the DA, they would be there in a matter of moments. As they turned the corner into the main corridor between their two houses, several young Hufflepuff's came running towards them, almost knocking Ron over. Pulses rising, they kept running towards the source of the commotion. Harry shouted at Ron "Get McGonagall!" and saw him take off down the next corridor. Harry spotted Neville, Ginny and Dean coming down the corridor behind them, sprinting, still in their pyjamas. As they turned into the Hufflepuff dorm they saw what was making people scream. Death-Eaters. But these were different, not the usual long robed men with tall hats, but boys. These were young boys with masks that fitted their heads like an external skull, and a terrifying letter 'S', adorned with a snake on their chests. Slytherins. Harry felt he should have seen it coming. Hitler used kids, why couldn't Voldemort? Half their parents were fully fledged death-eaters; they were perfect double agents, fellow students. Harry even liked some of them, until now. Hatred soared within him and charging through the wrenched door to the common room, he screamed "Expelliarmus!" at the first thing he saw move. He rolled over the death-eater he just knocked out and shouted "petrificus totallus!", and felled the next. The fight was fierce, spells and charms, curses and counter curses. Harry and Hermione were both running on pure adrenaline, dodging this, hiding behind that until the teachers arrived, following Ron into the fray. After they had dealt with the invading Slytherins in the Hufflepuff common-room the DA and the teachers marched on Slytherin house. No Slytherin was beyond suspicion. Unforgivable curses had been used and they had to be punished for it.

As things calmed down Professor McGonagall found Harry and congratulated him on his efforts, but only one thing was on Harry's mind, McGonagall's voice began to fade out. Where was Hermione? Was she okay? Had something happened to her? In the heat of the battle he'd lost her. He didn't care that Hogwarts had almost been taken. He didn't care that some of his fellow students had been killed. All he could think was, _Please God let her be okay_. He scanned the corridor from left to right and was about to burst into a run to look for her when she came round the corner, escorting three more robed Slytherins that couldn't have been more than second years. The relief at seeing her was instant and, smiling, he ran towards her, and she towards him. Meeting each other in the middle of the corridor they kissed each other passionately, deeply, no longer needing to over think or fear their feelings for one another, through the joy of finding each other again when they both expected to be dead.

The rest of what happened next was pretty much a blur to both Harry and Hermione. They remembered handing over the young death-eaters and then making their way hand in hand to the shrieking shack, whose name on that night took on an entirely different meaning. They were there together and time just seemed to slow. They got inside, took one look at the bed and kissed each other fiercely. They needed this. With no hesitation Harry pulled off Hermione's shirt and pulled her back to him as she took off his belt and threw it almost completely through the broken window, neither noticed. With one final look into each others eyes, each asking _Are you sure you want to do this? _They fell into each other and onto the bed. They made light work of the rest of their clothes and surrendered themselves to their desire and the moment. Bodies intertwined they writhed together in perfect unison, pushing each other further, faster until both were satisfied, and exhausted. Loosing himself in her gorgeous brown eyes one last time, Harry kissed her gently, laid his head on her chest, listening as her breathing returned to normal, and falling asleep.

Their time together seemed all to brief but as they awoke next morning Hermione could still feel Harry all over her and she felt happier and more content than she had in years. Harry, for his part was equally contented, he couldn't imagine why they hadn't done it months ago. He rolled over to face her and kissed her lovingly, just looking in her eyes a certainty came over him, he knew that whatever Voldemort could throw at him, as long as Hermione was okay and by his side, nothing could harm him.

They dressed slowly, not really wanting to leave the solitude of the building and return to the grief of the castle, but aware that if anyone had figured out where they were or what they'd done, they could still get in major trouble. They left the shrieking shack together and headed back to their dorms, eager for a few hours more sleep before breakfast. Unfortunately for the both of them it was a lot later than they'd expected and any chance of a discreet shower and change of clothes disappeared as Ron came hurtling out of the great hall, frantic. He looked almost as tired as they did. He was moving at a pace and nearly bumped into them. "Hey! Where's the fire?" Harry joked as he clasped his friend's shoulders. "Harry" said a startled Ron, "Thank God you're alright. When you didn't come back last night I though a death eater had done you in! I was back and forth from the hospital wing till 3! Where were you!" With a sly look at Hermione he grinned like a Cheshire cat and replied, "I was busy" Returning his attention to Ron he continued, clearing his throat "Ahh Hum, Ministry stuff you know. Had to make sure they had the right names, sent the right people to Azkaban and the others to the juvenile facility. Didn't McGonagall tell you?" He was pleased with his cover story. "No" replied Ron "But she did tell me we have to be ready soon. One of the death-eaters let it slip. Voldemort's preparing to move on Thursday"

All thoughts of the comfort and bliss of the previous night were lost to Harry with those six words. Hermione saw this look in his eyes, her face sunk and she walked into breakfast. Alone. She got herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the Gryffindor table, doing nothing but stare into her mug, crestfallen. How stupid could she have been? He was a guy; he wouldn't have put up much resistance even if it had been Milicent Bulstrode that had walked him to the shrieking shack last night. It didn't mean he felt the same way about her as she did about him. She stared deeper into her coffee cup and wanted nothing more than to go to her bedroom and weep. She loved him, and all he wanted was to sleep with her and then disregard her completely. She shook her head, breaking her trance. No, Harry wouldn't do that. The things he did last night, the way he felt, warm and naked next to her, the way he kissed her. He couldn't make love to her like that and then just fob it off at the first mention of Voldemort. It meant something to her, and she was damn well going to make sure it meant something to him too. She set down her mug and prepared herself to go and confront Harry when suddenly, as she turned around, there he was. "I'm so sorry" he said as he hugged her tightly. "It threw me. No more waiting, no more practising. Thursday night, I'm killing Voldemort. But till then _Nothing_ is gonna keep me away from you." In that moment all her anger disappeared and she hugged him back with a smile.

To everyone else in their year it seemed like a normal morning except for the events of the previous night in the Hufflepuff common room and that all those in their seventh year had had their lessons cancelled that morning for a special assembly with madam Pomfrey, Sex ed, oh the irony. It took all their energy not to laugh or keep looking over at each other, but as Hermione caught Harry's eyes he was sure she mouthed "Tonight" with a seductive smile. As it turned out, by the end of the day both were too exhausted and had too much homework for any, let's say, extra-curricular activities of a non academic nature, so, while they did return to the shrieking shack that night, it was merely so they could sleep, knowing that being separated for even one night would have been torture.

When Hermione woke up on Wednesday morning she noticed something very odd, she was alone. As she sat up, she looked over to the small desk in the corner of the shrieking shack and saw Harry sitting there with a piece of paper and pen, facing her. "Morning" said Harry with a smile. "You couldn't sleep?" said Hermione, pushing her hair behind her ears,. "No, but watching you sleep was just as relaxing. I've just been thinking. I think it'd be better if we took the fight to Voldemort, play it on our terms, not his." Harry said as he walked over to the bed and sat down, "I think we should force the death-eaters to tell us where he's hiding." "Sounds like you've been up for a while. You thinking DA, teachers, and the Order?" Hermione said, looking for a glass of water. "I wasn't

sure about taking the DA, they're good but I'm hoping the element of surprise will eliminate the need to bring them along. I wanted to minimise …………casualties" Hermione put her hand behind his head, pulled him towards her and kissed him. Placing her forehead against his she said soothingly, "You can't save everyone. But it's not your fault. People die in war. Everyone that's following you into battle knows that." "Thank you" said Harry sincerely, holding her hand. "You're welcome" said Hermione, breaking away from him, "now, where are my clothes!" Harry just smiled.

The rest of the day passed sooner than they would have liked but it was enough time to set the plan in motion. McGonagall was pleased with Harry wanting to take the initiative and she personally interrogated the leader of the young death-eaters, Vincent Crabbe, for the location of Voldemort's lair. He stood up to more pressure than anyone would have expected. It took three vials of Veritaserum to coax the truth out of him! "His father's house! He lives next door! He's used his magic and combined it with Malfoy's! It's cloaked!" It was all they needed. It made sense. The last two Horcruxes, Voldemort's physical body and his father's grave, he'd want to stay close to it. Defend it with his death-eaters' lives. They massed their forces, calling the DA, teachers, Aurors, members of the Order of the Phoenix and, surprisingly, several students and ordinary witches and wizards. Apparently the Order of the Phoenix was far more extensive and connected than Lupin had ever let on. Even Viktor Krum turned up with a contingent of Durmstrang teachers and students! This was it. The final battle with Voldemort. The Last stand of Good Vs Evil, whatever the outcome. By sunset the army had formed at Hogsmeade station, one hundred and eighty people, all ready to apparate to the graveyard by the old Riddle place.

Harry stood on the conductor's podium at the top of the station and began to speak. "Okay! Everyone listen!" bellowed Harry across the din of the crowd. "We're about to leave; Now I know it should be Dumbledore that's stood here talking to all of you now. But he's not here. So I'm asking more of you than anyone should ever have to. Some of you will die tonight, and I'm so sorry, but we didn't start this war, but we're damn well going to finish it! Now I need as many of you as are brave enough to come, but I won't hold it against you, or think any less of you if you choose to stay. We'll be going in waves. Twenty people will apparate to the field every three minutes. I'm going first and I'm taking the most senior members of the Order of the Phoenix with me. Professor McGonagall will lead the second wave of teachers and the rest of the order. Hermione Granger will lead the third wav..." "What! No Harry I'm going with you! I told you I'm not leaving you." Shouted Hermione, pushing her way from the middle of the crowd to the top of the station, everyone turned to look. Harry climbed down from the podium and lowered his voice to speak to her "no, you said I wouldn't be alone, and I'm not. Truth be told I'm hoping just the first two waves will be enough. I don't want anyone there unless I fail. Everyone else is the 'B' plan; he shouldn't have more than thirty death-eaters with him. We can do this, but just in case, I need you to lead everyone else, you're the only other person that can if…if I don't come back." "You're coming back." Replied Hermione, tears welling in her eyes, "but I'll do it, I'll bring the third wave, just promise me you'll come back" "I promise" said Harry, but his eyes told her that was a promise he couldn't make. Harry kissed Hermione goodbye and returned to the platform, he looked at her once more and returned his attention to the crowd. "Ron Weasley will separate you all into waves, the first five waves, you already know who you are, so lets go!" the crowd cheered and Harry climbed down from the platform and over to McGonagall, Moody, Lupin and Tonks. "You sure you're ready Harry", said Lupin, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. He glanced over at Hermione one more, organising her troops, looking more beautiful than ever and said "no. but I don't have a choice. Let's go."

With that he flung his invisibility cloak over his shoulders and apparated, landing gently fifty feet away from Voldemort's house, a wreck of a place befitting of its owner's state of mind. Professor Flitwick and Tonks were already breaking the protective charms and curses surrounding the house, and Lupin, Harry and Moody silently snuck round the back and silently took out the three death-eaters that were standing guard by the door. They waited there in the darkness for a few minutes until Tonks and Flitwick had removed all the charms around the place and they could enter freely. By now, McGonagall and the other teachers turned up, landing on the grass in front of the house and bellowed counter curses and spells of there own, making the diversion for any hiding death-eaters. Harry, Lupin and Moody ran up the stairs, quickly followed by Kingsley Shakelbolt and the rest of the first wave. The stairs were dark and dank, and smelled of the sulphur given out by quickly mixed potions. They checked every room on the way up with the light from their wands and finally charged into the final room at the end of a long corridor on the top floor. As they all ran through the door Harry whipped off his cloak and raised his wand, but as soon as the others followed him into the dark room two death-eaters standing either side of Voldemort, sitting in an old red velvet covered armchair, shouted a spell and sent all the others flying violently through the wall and onto the grass outside. All the doors in the house slammed shut and Harry was left alone. "Leave me. I can take care of the boy. Perhaps you should go and entertain our other esteemed guests" Said Voldemort to his bodyguards, who at this, bowed to him and headed to walk out of the door, as they left Harry caught a glimpse of a sneer he had seen many time before underneath one of their masks, Lucius Malfoy! Harry's blood boiled and he moved to hit him and wipe that smirk off his face for good. Voldemort waved his wand and Harry was sent hurtling across the room. Malfoy turned to look and laughed at Harry as he got up, and then left the room. "Now, Now Harry!" said Voldemort with a chuckle, still sitting in his chair, "This is between you and I, not my servants!" "Get up then" said Harry forcefully, "you'll find I've learned a lot since you tried to kill me in the ministry." "I see that, but you're still just a boy. The boy who lived, only to end up as a testament to my ultimate power" "Keep talking. Tom" At this Voldemort twitched and his disfiguring smile left his face, Harry was pleased. "Careful child! I was going to kill you quickly but now, I think it would be more fun to see how long I can keep you alive! You enjoyed the cruciatus curse last time I used it on you did you not. Let's see how it feels this time! Crucio!" as Voldemort lifted his wand Harry jumped out of the way and behind a fallen beam, missing the spell by millimetres. "Well well! Very impressive!" Said Voldemort, crossing his legs in his chair and smiling again, clearly enjoying toying with Harry. "I told you I've learned some new tricks. Are you going to take me seriously now, considering I'm the one that's going to be killing you in the next five minutes" This really got under Voldemort's skin and he stood up and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" at Harry, who, remembering what Hermione had taught him, flicked his wand under his forearm and held it out in a defensive posture, forming a shield that bounced the curse right off it and back towards Voldemort, leaving a shimmering green lightning bolt on the otherwise invisible shield. Voldemort looked flabbergasted! "How did you do that!" He demanded. "When you're as powerful and good a wizard as I am maybe I'll tell you!" taunted Harry. "I was trained by Albus Dumbledore. The greatest wizard that has ever lived. Want to see something else he taught me?" With this he clapped his hands together, still tightly clutching his wand and formed another wand as he brought his hands apart. He closed his eyes, lifted his wands and sent one red and one green beam directly at Voldemort, hitting him right in the middle of his chest. Voldemort was sent flying back, crashing through his chair and into the dingy wall behind him. He stopped moving. Harry opened his eyes and looked over at the heap of a man on the other side of the room. Harry, breathing heavily, stood stock still, his wands raised looking intently for any movement, after a few moments Harry relaxed his guard a little and slowly walked over to him. He kept his wand pointed at him at all times and cautiously checked for a pulse, he couldn't feel one. The door opened and Harry took a step back. He could hear the cries and screams from the battle with the death-eaters on the ground below for the first time. Could that really have been it? It was clear it had been Voldemort's power that was sealing the doors shut. As he returned his attention to the side of the room, the body was gone! It wasn't over.

Voldemort had disapparated as soon as Harry had turned his back to listen to the battle and reappeared behind him. He hit him hard on the back of the head with a broken piece of wood and Harry collapsed onto the floor. Voldemort, seething with hatred, tied him up, took his wands, broke them and uttered a spell that woke him up. "For that, you will be dealt with severely!" He screamed as he threw the broken shards of Harry's wands at him. Voldemort crouched over Harry's broken body, closed his eyes and delved into Harry's barely conscious mind. The only thing he could see was Hermione, her smiling, kissing him, the image of her in the moonlight. Her love for Harry. Harry, felt this and with his bloody nose screamed at Voldemort, "You even look at her and I'll kill you!" Voldemort stood up and questioned, "So you wouldn't want to see her right now" Voldemort swished his wand and she was there, screaming in pain on the floor in front of him, "Harry! Help me! Ahhhhhhhhhh" she was being badly beaten, kicked and punched by death-eaters, and then she was gone. "HERMIONE!" screamed Harry, desperately trying to get up but couldn't. Voldemort laughed. "That was just a preview of what I'll do to her when I catch her. And I'll make you watch as I torture and kill her. I'm sure my death-eaters are in need of some entertainment also!" Voldemort raised his head and beamed, "Ah, she's closer than I thought" At this he waved his arms again and Hermione was brought from the battle below and stumbled onto the floor. She was slightly dazed, looking around and settling her eyes on Harry. "Oh God, Harry! Harry! Are you okay!" Harry started to drift into unconsciousness, shaking him she cried out, "Stay with me Harry!" Voldemort came up behind her and with an evil grin, pointed his wand at the back of her neck and whispered "Crucio" Her ear piecing scream was terrifying, her body was almost bending backwards, and being stretched and torn at, she was barely able to breathe, all the hatred Voldemort had for Harry was poured into Hermione, Harry was so weak he could barely talk, but he staggered to his feet and placed his body in between Voldemort's wand and Hermione and took the full force of the torture curse himself. The pain was like nothing he had known before, every physical and mental torture Voldemort could devise was being forced into Harry's body, like lava through his very soul. Then he felt something he did not expect, another hand touching his, giving him strength as he was about to pass out from the pain. It lasted only a few seconds but he felt something different, stronger somehow, and now he could feel the wand in his hand. Hermione's wand. With every bit of strength he had left he summoned his shield and broke the curse.

"Bitch!" screamed Voldemort at Hermione as she hurled a nearby broken beam at him, he yelled a curse at her and it hit her, right in her stomach, slashing her open and causing her to double over in pain, clutching at her stomach and bleeding terribly. Harry flung a curse at Voldemort and ran over to Hermione. She said "I'm so sorry" and through her tears and shallow breaths whispered, "I love you" and passed out. Harry pulled her towards him, felling her pulse weaken and sobbed. "I love you! Hermione, I love you, please wake up", he cried, Voldemort closed in on him. "Don't worry Potter, you'll be together again soon enough" he raised his wand, ready for the kill. Harry gently rolled Hermione's limp body back onto the floor, picked up her wand and faced his enemy, tears rolling down his cheeks. Harry heard something in his head as he watched, almost in slow motion, Voldemort grin evilly and point his wand at him. He heard, in what he was sure was Hermione's voice "Phoenix. The Order of the Phoenix" He knew what to do. He raised his wand and yelled "Avada Kedavra" at exactly the same time Voldemort did. Then, doing something he never thought he could, he looked inside himself and pictured a beautiful, shining, powerful phoenix, and felt the heat in his body rise, he flung his arms out and burst into the same flames he had just seen. Glorious feather's springing from his arms, taking flight for the first time. This happened in the blink of an eye, and the spell from Voldemort's wand hit him straight in the head, but since a Phoenix always rises again, Harry fell back to the ground, human again. He looked to his side through blurry eyes and saw Voldemort, he raised the wand once more, uttered the killing curse again and saw it strike Voldemort. He fell to the ground and didn't get up. With this Harry was finally sure it was over. Voldemort was dead. He crawled over to Hermione's body, and, lying on his front he put his arm over her chest and his head on her shoulder, and passed out. With this it was all finally over. The battle was done. The war had been won.

At this moment Lupin and Tonks ran into the room, and saw Harry and Hermione lying there, motionless. Fear rising within him Lupin ran over to them and apparated their bodies straight to Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Harry didn't know it, but McGonagall and Neville managed to destroy the Riddle gravestone when Harry had first sent those two shots at Voldemort that made him pass out. When Lupin returned to the battle after taking the young lovers to hospital he announced that Voldemort was dead and showed the death-eaters his body as evidence. Most of the death-eaters apparated from the field and others gave themselves up, but Lupin vowed to himself that he wouldn't rest until Harry and Hermione were well again and ALL death-eaters were locked up in Azkaban.

It was nearly three weeks before Harry woke up again. Weak and tired. His first thought was of Hermione and he started to cry again. He let her die. The one person who'd shared everything with him. Loved him completely and he let Voldemort kill her right in front of him. A nurse walked over too him and smiled. "Mr Potter, I'm glad to see you're awake, we were beginning to worry that you'd never wake up. How are you feeling?" Harry was too distraught to answer. "I'll just get a doctor" said the nurse and walked away. Harry fell asleep again and was woken an hour later by a doctor, followed by a rather bruised looking Ron. Ron sat down on the bed smiling. What could he possibly be smiling about? "Hi Harry, You okay" he said warmly "Where's Hermione" asked Harry, dreading the response "Harry she's." started Ron. He couldn't bear to hear him say it, so through tears he asked "When's the funeral?" whimpered Harry, "You want a funeral?" said Ron perplexed "Of course, she was our best friend" said Harry, a little upset that Ron, the only other person that had been as close to her hadn't thought of it "Okay, but I thought it was customary only to bury the dead!" Said Ron sarcastically "What!" said Harry, struggling to sit up, "you just said she was dead", Ron beamed, "no, you interrupted me! Harry she's here, she's doing well, and", Ron stopped, as if to stop himself from laughing, "She's pregnant, you're gonna be a dad". Harry was stunned! He saw her die! He was sure of it. Or he was dead and this was his heaven. "This is one sick joke Ron! I saw her die!" he said through clenched teeth, emotion welling in his voice. "I'm not joking" said Ron, looking slightly taken aback "I wouldn't. That's why I'm here. I thought as soon as you woke up you'd want to see her. You up too it?" Hope finally rose within Harry and he gabbled, "Yeah. Where is she?" he tried to stand but couldn't, Ron caught him and said "whoa easy mate, I'll take you in a chair! She's just down the corridor, three wards down" Harry was nervous and weak as hell as he was pushed down the corridor. As he was wheeled to Hermione's bedside he saw her. She was sound asleep. She looked so beautiful, like nothing had happened to her. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute" whispered Ron as he quietly slipped out of the room. Harry took Hermione's hand and felt more relief and comfort than he had ever known before. She started to wake as Harry placed his hand on her head, and gently stroked her hair. "Hi" He whispered, smiling at her, she didn't reply. He was a little confused, "How are you feeling" he asked "Harry!" She said sobbing gently, "I thought you were dead!" she whispered holding his hands. "I'm sorry" "Oh, what for", said Harry, looking deep into her eyes and stroking her head again. "For everything. For letting Voldemort nearly kill you, for not helping you." She paused, "Has Ron or a nurse spoken to you?" she asked nervously, not sure what to say about the child growing inside of her. "About the baby" said Harry encouragingly, Hermione nodded, tears welling again, "yes, Harry I'm sorry, I should've known better and if you want nothing to do with me or the baby I'll understand and I don't want you to fe………" Harry cut her ramble off with a kiss and said, "I think it's fantastic. I'm not leaving you. I love you" "I love you too" said Hermione and kissed him again. Harry struggled to his feet, and with a wince, climbed on to the bed next to her. He gently laid his hand on her stomach, at which she winced a little, still sore from where Voldemort's curse had struck, and fell asleep.

They didn't know what would happen next, but they were alive, together, and Voldemort was a footnote in wizarding history. Whatever was next, kids, marriage, work, they could handle it, and they did.

The end


End file.
